The Portland daily press., 1887-02-23
Report OF the Board OF Railroad Conn
mlssIoners.
A Full List OF the Victims of the Ac-
cldent.
Conclusions on the Cause Of the
Disaster.
The Railroad Company Exonerated
From All Blame.

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT, Feb. 22-
The board Of railroad commissioners today
made public its report upon the recent disas-
ter at Hatford bridge upon the Central Yer
mont railroad. From the report the follow
ing facts are taken: The wrecked train was
the night express for Montreal, which left
White River function at 210 o'clock. on tho
morning of February 5, one hour and thirty
minutes late. The train was made up In
the following order: Locomotive and ten
der, baggage car, combination mail and
smoking cars, Boston coach, Springfield
coach, Springfield sleeper. "St Albans," and
Boston sleeper, 'Pilgrim." The number Of
passengers on board the train was II, dis
tributed as follows: In the smoking apart
ment of the combination mail and smoking
car, three; in the Boston coach, 26; in the
Springfield coach, q; in the Springfield
sleeper, s. in the Boston sleeper, 10. The
trainmen were conductor, engineer, fireman
two brasemen, baggage man, express mes
senger, two postal clerks, Pullman conductor
and two Pullman porters.
After giving the exact location Of the
bridge and describing the curves and grades
the report continues: At point $40 feet from
the abutment at the south end of the bridge,
while the train was moving at a speed Of
less than IL miles an hour, the rear sleeper
pilgrim" was thrown from the rails, but
kept the roadbed until it came upon the
bridge, when the rear end swung to the
right side of the track to the deck Of the
bridge and thence to the frozen river below
a distance of 43 feet, drawing with it the
SlaQDQr and fyuo aoaQhaa in oil Of
which were crushed In the wreck. Fire soon
broke out from the wreck In several places
and within Is minutes the cars were all en-
yeloped in flames which also set fire to the
bridge, and that fell alongside the burning
cars The intense cold weater also added TO
the peril Of the survivors. The list of pas
sengers who lost their lives in the disaster is
as follows:
Edward f. Dillon, Springfield.
James 7. Stone, Burlington.
Edgar Wilder, st. Adams.
ID. ID. woodward, Waterbury.
Samuel s. Wescott, Burlington.
George J. Bell, Bellows. Falls.
Mrs. VIM Devino, Winooski.
Frank L. Wesson, Springfield, Mass.
Harry Brooks, Boston.
Francis Flynn, Worcester, Mass.
Peter Blais, Warren, Mass.
Fred Blais, Warren, Mass.
Francis Boulanger, HOlyOke, Mass.
Miss Anastina Boulanger, Holyoke Mass.
Miss Nancy Dunbar, SomeryiLe, Mass
Louis B. James, New Haven, Conn.
Charles Carleur, Rockville Conn.
Herbert A. Thayer, Chateauguay, MY.
Cephas Mills, Irouquois, Ont.
Peter McIain, Actonvale II. q.
Dlendonne Maigret Shawingan, 7. Q.
Miss Annie Guirard Upon, P. Q.
MISS Agnes Rogers, Lakefeld, Z. Q.
The names Of the train men are as followss:
Smith G. Sturtevant St. Adams, Vt. conductor
Bd Brocklebank, brakeman, Lebanon. N. III
M. H. Burgess, Boston, Mass, Pullman conduc-
a; J; Hammer, Maiden, Mass. colored porter Of
"Pilgrim."
Z. Il: Jones' Boston, colored porter Of the '.st
Albans."
The list of passengers known to be injured
is as follows:
Hon. Renry Mott Alburgh, VT
Henry w. Tewksbury, West Randolph.
gudIns 9. Hutchins, Montgomery
y: w. Tuttle, Tunbridge.
Miss Persis II foiett' Sharon.
Miss Katie Cahill. Boston.
Frank NJ. Pratt, Springfield, Mass.
J. Herbert Gushing, Middleboro, Mass.
Jos. o. Jacques, Fitchburg, Mass
Andrew Wheeler Fitchburg Mass.
Howard i. Smith, Gloucester, Mass
Fred A. Fisher, Gloucester, Mass
Mitchell Lacillade, Lawrence.
August Lebouf, Lynn, Mass.
Alex. Layalle, Greenfield, Mass.
Mrs. Mar. j. Graham, Bedford, Mass.
Mrs. Charles kastner, Boston
Miss Annie Murphy, Boston.
MISS margaret WdlSH, Nfeonnel0. MASS.
Horace Juneau, East PeppereI Mass
J. s. Suit, New Haven, Conn.
II. g. Wilcox, Malone, N. Y.
l.. Combremont, New York city.
James Kiles Burke, N. "
Joseph Jeanett. Scloto, N. Y.
o. Boisvert, Stangeline, p q.
Moses Poulliot. Quebec, p. Q.
Geo. Lave, Moutreal
Joseph Libby, st. Valerie, P.Q.
Mrs. w. s. Dryden, Montreal.
Mrs. o. Boisvert, ST. Augeline, z. @.
Miss Emma Lowell, Montreal.
lffcah Mari CaAI nrrno ID n
One train man, Geo. III. Parker, brakeman, was
| injured.
The commissioners say all possible help
| was rendered the wounded by those remain
| ing upon the uninjured portion of the train
| and by the occupants Of the solitary house
near the wreck. At the time Of the accident
| Conductor Sturteyant appear to have been
| In the forward passenger coach collecting
| fares, and when the first trouble was noticed
ne at once pulled the bell cord. The engineer
took alarm and immediately applied the air
| brakes with full force, then looking back saw
| the rear sleeper sswing off the bridge. He
thereupon let off the brakes, open the throt-
tie and pulled away from the rest Of the train
saving portion of it. The proof is beyond
reasonable doubt that the train was slowed
/ up before the first derailment occurred, and
tnat the train was running by its own mo-
mentum when the bridge was reached.
Inc report deals at some length with the
arrangements made for the relief Of the
| wounded and investigations made at the
scene of the disaster by members Of the
| board.
A formal hearing by the board was begun
Feb. and Al witnesses have been examined,
including train men, persons injured and ex-
pert mechanics. Two rails were found broken
| about 500 feet from the south end of the
| bridge, the outer spikes being bent down or
| the heads torn off and some of the inner
| spikes were driven into the sleepers or ties
4 There were tlange marks on the ties and
| frozen earth and also indications of heavy
| blows upon some of the ties and earth for
| several rods before the bridge was reached.
| The middle journal of the forward truck of
| the sleeper Pilgrim was broken midway be-
| tween the wheels at some time in the acci-
| dent, one wheel and part Of the broken
Journal being found on the left of the bridge
and the corresponding section and wheel on
the opposite side Of the bridge.
| The board announces its conclusions as
| follows: The board finds that the running Of
i this train was properly mannged ON the mart